Tufted tit-tyrant

Anairetes parulus

Photo by José Cañas (Flickr)

Common name:
tufted tit-tyrant (en); papa-moscas-de-crista (pt); taurillon mésange (fr); cachudito (es); meisentachurityrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found along the Andes mountain chain, from southern Colombia to northern Argentina, and also in the lowland areas of central and southern Argentina and Chile.

Size:
These birds are 9,5-11 cm long and weigh 6 g.

Habitat:
The tufted tit-tyrant is mostly found in mountain scrublands and moist tropical forests, but also uses lowland rainforests and scrublands, as well as temperate forests. They can be found from sea level up to an altitude of 4.200 m.

Diet:
They feed on a wide variety of insects, occasionally also taking seeds.

Breeding:
Tufted tit-tyrants breed in August-June, varying between different parts of their range. The nest is a small, compact cup made of grass, lichens, root fibres and plant down, and thickly lined with small feathers.It is placed in a scrub of bamboo shoot, usually near a clearing, path or stream. There the female lays 2-3 creamy-white eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods. Each pair raises 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.